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*...urges govt to beef-up monitoring, sanction offenders*
The Network of Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria, NOCSON, has raised alarm over alleged diversion of relief materials by some politicians in Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas.
This was revealed by leaders of NOCSON on Wednesday in Benin City while on a monitoring tour of the distribution of Covid-19 relief packages in Ikpoba-Okha and Oredo council areas of Edo State.
The monitoring team include Secretary of NOCSON, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbidi, Public Relations Officer, Comrade Bevy Efe and Comrade Maxwell Iyamu.
According to Ogbidi, "we systematically followed three vehicles who carried the the relief materials from Idogbo; headquarters of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area to Ward 04 of the council.
He said they observed that the three vehicles went to the APC Women leader's house to offload the relief packages.
"The action was outrightly against the directive of the Chairman of the council, Dr. Eric Osayande who had earlier told us that the materials were going to the Odionwere's residence for onward distribution to the poor and vulnerable, Ogbidi stated.
"The house of the odionwere of Evbomodu community was just two streets away, but the relief materials were diverted and escorted by the ward 4 chairman and a former counsellor to the woman leader's house."
"To us this is unacceptable as the directive earlier was that no APC party executive shall partake in the process, so as not to give it a political undertone, Ogbidi retorted.
Some elders and youths who spoke to reporters described the exercise as a sham.
The respondents who did not want their names on print said they have been used in time past by politicians to achieve their selfish desires.
They stated categorically that the process has been defeated having taken the items to a politician's house.
The protesting elders and youths were however consoled by the activists who promised to channel their grievances to relevant government authorities.
At Oredo Skills Acquisition Center, along Sapele Road; which served as venue for the sharing of relief packages to various wards in the council area, Oredo council chairman, Jenkins Osunde announced there that the relief packages would be sent to the poorest of the poor as identified by counselors across the wards in the local government area.
Contrary to the statement of the council boss, Comrade Bevy Efe observed that "one of the vehicles conveying the relief packages went to ward 7, escorted by some government officials, stopped at second junction close to Faith motors, where they looted some of the items, (rice, beans, indomie and garri) into their personal vehicles before continuing their journey to the house of an APC chieftain who is very close to the Governor residing at Upper Mission area in Benin City, of which we followed the vehicle there to see it offload the items."
However, Ogbidi commended Edo state government over the palliative measures meant to cushion the effects of the stay-at-home order by government but said the process of getting the relief packages to poorest of the poor is below pass mark from their observation.
On his part, Comrade Maxwell Iyamu charged the government to put mechanisms in place for proper monitoring of the distribution of Covid-19 relief packages to ensure that the items get to the rightful persons.
He also demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of those found guilty in the alleged diversion of the stimulous packages meant for the downtrodden.
"We urge the Governor to fish out those officials and bring them to book without delay and justice be served within 48 hours, otherwise; we will start mentioning names and videos that will damage the credibility of the whole exercise.
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